Fence-machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1, J- W. PUTER-BAUGH.

EENGE MACHINE.

No. 417,279. Patented Een. 17, 18789.

N, PETERs Pim:Ldlwmaphm-` wnhingwn. D. C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JOIIN \V. PUTERBAUGII, OF CLARINDA, IOVA.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,279, dated December17, 1889. Application tiled August 29, 1889. Serial No. 322,305. (Nomodel.) i

' manufacturing that class of fences which are constructed of wire andwooden slats interwoven; and it has for its object to construct amachine of this class in which the necessity of inserting the slats orpickets endwise into the bights of the wires shall be dispensed with.

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved felicemaking machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical view ofthe saine. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a part of themachine, showing the devices for forcing the picketsdown into the bights of the wires in operative position. Fig. 5 isavertical transverse sectional view .taken on the line o@ :r in Fig. Fig.(i is a perspective detail view of one of the twisting-heads detachedfrom the machine. Fig. 7 is a detail view. I

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the iigures.

1 designates a bench or table, which is mounted upon a frame 2,supported upon legs 3. The table 1 is provided with a verticaltransverse slot 1, the front and rear sides of which have verticalsegmental recesses affording bearings for the twisting-heads. The latterconsist of segmental stems or shanks G, provided at their upper andlower ends with segmental heads or flanges 7 and 8, the former of whichare provided along their peripheries with radially-extending teeth vorsprockets 9, and the under sides of the said upper anges 7 are providedwith segmental grooves 10, adapted to engage segmental anges 11, formedupon the upper side of the bench or table adjacent to the recesses 5.The iianges 8, at the lower ends of the shanks 6 of the twisting-heads,are adapted to bear against the under side-of the bench or table. Itwill be seen by this construction thetwisting-heads are retainedsecurely in operative position, the tlanges 11 engaging the grooves 10,and the flanges S combining to prevent the said twisting-heads frombeing dislodged. The twisting-heads in the oppositely-located recesses 55 are arranged concentrically, and are separated only by thelongitudinal slot 4.. It follows that the said twisting-heads may berotated in the bearings formed by the segmental concentric recesses 5 bymeans of suitable mechanism, which will be presently more fullydescribed.

The twisters have been described in the foregoing as being segmental,and it should be added that they are to be less than full semicircular,since the segmental and less than semicircular twistersV leave an.opening as broad as the slot f1 in the table, through Which a picket maydrop, as will be hereinafter described, whereas se micircular twisterswould have to be separated by other means before they would allovirv apicket to drop through.

The heads 7 at the upper ends of the twisters are provided withupwardlyextending lugs or brackets 12, forming bearings for the spools13, upon which is wound the wire 14, which is to be used in themanufacture of the fence. Each of the twisters is provided with avertical perforation 15, through which the wire 14. is threaded,

1G designates a guide-roller, which is journaled in brackets 17depending from the sides of the frame. At the rear end of the frame areprovided bearings for a transverse roller 1S, upon which the fence iswound as it is being. delivered from the machine( i One of the sidebeams of the frame is provided on its inner side with a bracket 19,which, to-

" gether with the adjacent frame-beam, affords bearings for a shortshaft 20, (shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings,) upon which is secured aratchet-wheel 21.

22 designates a pawl attached to the frame and engaging theratchet-Wheel to prevent reverse movement of the latter.

23 is an oscillating `frame mounted pivotally upon the shaft 20, astridethe ratchetwheel 2l, and having at its uppe'r end a piv- ICO oted pawl24, en gaging the said ratclietwheel. The lower end of the frame 23 isvconnected by a link or connecting-rod 25 with an arm or crank 26,extending from one end of a rock-shaft 27, which is jou rnaledtransversely at one end of the frame. The opposite end of the rock-shaft27 has a crank or handle 28, by means of which it maybe manipulated. Itwill be seen that by operating the rockshaft 27 an intermittent rotarymotion may be imparted to the shaft 20. The latter is provided atitsouter end which projects beyond the bracket 19 with a square post orprojection 29, adapted to enter a correspondingly-shaped recess 30 inthe end of the roller 18. The opposite end of the latter has a pintie3l., adapted to be journaled in a bearing provided for its reception inone of the side pieces of the supporting-frame. The roller '18, as willbe seen, may thus be connected detachably with its operating mechanism.The said roller is provided with transverse slots 32, in which tongues33 are pivotally mounted. Y These tongues may be adjusted to a positiontransverse to the shaft, when they will serve to engage the pickets atthe end of the fence and hold the latter from slipping as it is beingwound upon the said receivingroller.

The bench or table of the machine is provided nea-r one end withbearings for a vertical shaft 34, carrying` at its upper end asprocket-Wheel 35 and at its lower end a pinion 36, which meshes withthe pinion 37 upon a counter- 'shaft 38. The latter extends through thefront side of the frame, and cari ries at its front end a crank-wheel39, by

means of which it may be operated.

40 designatesa chain running over the sprocket-Wheel 35 and engaging theteeth or sprockets 9 at the peripheries of the flanges at the upper endsof the twisters, of which latter tive pairs are usually to be employed,

although in the drawings hereto annexed only three pairs have beenshown. At the end of the bench or table opposite to the sprocketwheel 35is journaled a guide-wheel or pulley 41 for the opposite end ot thechain'40.

Idlers or friction-wheels 42 are mounted upon the bench of the machineto bear against the sides of the sprocket-chain interrnedially betweenthe several sets or pairs of twisters. It will be seen that by thismechanism rotary movement lnay be imparted simultaneously to the severalsets of twisters, the result bein'g to twist the previously-connectedends of the wires extending downwardly from said twisters.

A series of guide-rods 44 are arranged vertically on opposite sides ofthe vertical slot 4, the purpose of said rods being to guide the picketsused in the manufacture of the fence into the said slot. l a verticalgage-bar 45, and the opposite end of the Said slot is provided with aspring 46, attachedat the upper end of said slot and servin g to forcethe ends ofthe pickets against One end of the slot 4 hasthe gage-bar asthey are being fed into the machine, thereby securingjuniformity in theposition ot' the pickets with relation to the wires.

To the nuclei' side of the bench 1 adjacent to the front side of slot 4is journaled a rockshaft 47, having arms `48, adapted to work inrecesses 49, formed in the under side ot the bench and communicatingwith the slot 4. By oscillating the rock-shaft 47 in its bearings thearms 48 may be thrown in a forward direction across the. slot 4. Thearms 48 are normally held in an upright position by the action of aspring 50 coiled upon the said rock-shaft. The latter is provided with adownwardly-eXtending arm 51, to which is attached 011e end of anoperating cord or chain 52, which passes over a guide-pulley 53, and theother end of which is attached to a treadle 54, which is hinged to abracket 55,

Vdepending from the front side of the frame of the machine.

To the under side of the bench in rear of the slot 4 is attached aseries of guidebrackets 56, to prevent forward movement of the picket,which is being engaged and operated upon by the arms 48 of therock-shaft 47.

In operation the ends of the wires, which are threaded through each pairof twisters, are first connected by twisting the same across the slot 4directly at the lower ends ot' the twisters. A slat or picket is thendropped through the slot 4 until it rests upon the wires, when, byoperating the rock-shaft 47 by means of the treadle 51, the said picketwill be forced the required distance in a downward direction. Byoperating the crankwheel 39 a rotary movement is nowimparted to thesprocket-wheel 35, causing the chain 40 to rotate the several sets oftwisters in their respective bearings, and thus twisting the wires abovethe slat or picket which has been inserted in the machine. The wires maybe given one or more twists, as may be desired, andthe twisters will bestopped at a point where their inner straight` sides shall be inalignment with the sidesA of the slot 4. Another picket is then insertedand the operation is repeated until a suflicient length of fence hasbeen made to enable it to be passed under the guide-roller 16 andattached to the winding-roller 18. rlhe latter may then beintermittently operated for the purpose of winding the fence until Varoll of the desired size has been formed, when the operation may betemporarily,suspended while the said roll is being removed.

The pickets from whichl the fence is being manufactured may be supportedupon the frame of the machine in rear of the bench or table, or upon ashelf above the table, where they may be 'conveniently reached by theoperator. y

My improved machine, as will be seen from the foregoing description, isvery simple in its construction, and it may be 'manufactured at amoderate expense. To operate the ma- IOO IIO

chine rapidly and successfully, the services of but one man arerequired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byIletters Patent of the United Statesl. In a fence-machine, thecombination, with a horizontal bench or table having a verticaltransverse slot provided on opposite sides with segmental concentricrecesses, of the revoluble segmental twisters journaled in said recesseson opposite sides of the slot, means for retaining the said twisters intheir bearings, and mechanism for imparting rotary movement to the saidtwisters, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a fence-making machine, the combination of a bench havin g avertical transverse slot provided with segmental concentric recesses andsegmental flan ges at the upper ends of said recesses, with thesegmental twisters mounted revolubly in the said recesses and providedVat their upper ends with heads or flanges,

the under sides of which are provided with segmental grooves to engagethe flanges at the upper ends of the segmental recesses, substantiallyas and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a fence-making machine, the combination, with a bench having avertical transverse slot provided on opposite sides with segmentalconcentric recesses, of thetwisters consisting of the segmental shanksprovided at their upper and lower ends with segmental heads or flangesadapted to bear against the upper and under sides of thebenclnsubstantially as herein set forth.

4. In afence-making machine, the combination, with a bench or tablehaving a vertical transverse slot provided on opposite sides withsegmental concentric recesses, of the segmental twisters mountedrevolubly in said recesses vand provided at their upper ends withsegmental flanges having radially-extending teeth or sprockets,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fence-making machine, the hereindescribed twisters comprisingthe segmental Shanks provided at their upper and lower ends withsegmental iianges and having vertical perforations, said upper fiangesbeing provided with radially-extending teeth or sprockets, and withsegmental grooves in their under sides, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

c. In a fence-making machine, the combination of a bench or table havinga vertical slot provided on opposite sides with segmental concentricrecesses, the segmental twisters mounted revolubly in the said recessesand having vertical p erforations, the brackets extending upwardly fromthe Lipper ends of said twisters, and the wire-spools mounted in thesaid brackets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In afence-making machine, the combination of a bench or table havinga vertical transverse slot provided with segmental concentric recessesand segmental iianges at the upper edges of the same, the segmentaltwisters mounted revolubly in said recesses and provided at their upperends with segmental flanges having segmental grooves in their undersides to engage the flanges at the upper ends of the bearings and havingradially-extending teeth or sprockets, the wirespools mounted upon theupper ends of the twisters, a chain arranged to engage the'sprocket-flanges of the twisters, a sprocket- Wheel and a guide-pulleyto support the said chain, and suitable operating mechanism,substantially as andfor the 'purpose herein set forth.

S. The combination of a bench or table having a vertical transverse slotprovided with concentric recesses on opposite sides, the twistersmounted revolubly in the, said recesses, a guide-bar secured verticallyat one end of the slot, and an inwardly-extending spring secured at theupper edge of the opposite end of the slot, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

9. The combination of a bench or table havvin g a vertical transverseslot provided with segmental concentric recesses on opposite sides, thetwisters mounted revolubly inthe said recesses, a rock-shaft journaledto the under side of the bench adjacent to the front side of the slotand having upwardly-extending radial arms working in recesses in thebench, communicating with the slot, a treadle and connecting mechanismto operate the said rock-shaft, and a spring coiled upon the latter tohold the radial arms normally in an upright position, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

10. In a fence-making machine, the combination of the vertically-slottedbench, the segmental twisters mounted revolubly in recesses or bearingson opposite sides of the said slots and carrying the wire-spools attheir upper ends, the rock-shafthaving radial arms journaled at thelower front edge of the slot, and the guide-brackets secured to theunderv side of the bench adjacent to the rear edgeof the slot,substantially as herein set forth.

1l. rlhe combination of the vertically-slotted bench, the segmentaltwist-ers mounted revolubly in recesses or bearings on opposite sides ofsaid slot, the guide-rods mounted vertically on opposite sides of theslot upon the upper side of the bench, the vertical gagebar secured atone end of the'slot, and an inwardly-extending spring secured at theupyper edge of the opposite end of the slot, substantially as set forth.

12. In a fence-machine, the combination of the supporting-frame, thevertically-slotted bench, the segmental vertical perforated twistersmounted revoluloly in recesses or bearings on opposite sides of the slotand carrying the Wire-spools at their upper ends, mechanism forimparting rotary motion simultaneously to the several sets of twisters,a rockshaft 'j ournaled to the under side of the bench IOO IZO

adjacenbto the front edge of the slot and 112W- In testimony that Iclaim the 'foregoing as 1o ing' radially-extending arms, a guide -roHeirmy own I have hereto affixed mysignature in joul'naled in bracketsdepending from the presence of twewit'nesses.

, frame ofthe nmehine, :i winding-roller mount- 5 ed detzwhably inbearings at the reen* end 0f JOHN \V. PU' ERBAU GH.

the frame, and mechanism for imparting intermittentrotary motion t0 thesaid Winding- \\'1 tnesses: i roller, substantially as and for thepurpose JAMES (JRAMER,

set forth. XV. B. BERRY.

